WANA (Feb 28) – Ismail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, responded to the Turkish Foreign Minister’s remarks in a tweet:

 

“Ignoring the visible and hidden hands of the U.S. and Israel in regional developments is a grave mistake. It is clear that, as the Turkish Foreign Minister put it, “the region must be freed from the culture of one country dominating others; neither Arabs, Turks, Kurds, nor Iranians should seek to dominate, harass, or threaten one another.” But what about Israel?

 

Just days after Damascus fell to Turkish-backed forces, Israel launched extensive attacks on Syria’s military and defense infrastructure, as well as its scientific and research centers, destroying over 90% of them. Moreover, Israel has once again occupied all of the Golan Heights and, through continued expansionist policies, has taken control of significant and strategic parts of Syrian territory.

 

Israel now controls Syria’s most vital water resources and repeatedly violates the country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty. These are the consequences of a flawed policy for the people of Syria, Palestine, and the entire region.

 

For the past five decades, Iran has not pursued any regional ambitions. Our sole concern has been supporting the Palestinian people and their struggle against occupation and aggression while preventing Israel from dominating the region. Today, the Palestinian cause is more alive than ever, and Israel is more despised than ever. Had it not been for the betrayals from within, no one would have dared to speak of the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the annexation of the West Bank.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported the resistance while simultaneously confronting unlawful behavior and terrorism with sincerity.

 

We were the first country to raise the flag of the fight against ISIS and violent extremism, led by our national hero, Martyr Soleimani, and we defeated them in the region. We were also the first country to oppose and counter the coup against the Turkish government.

 

We were among the first countries to welcome the PKK’s decision to lay down arms, recognizing it as a crucial step toward enhancing security in our neighboring country, Turkey.

 

Iran remains steadfast in its principled positions and does not shift policies from one day to another.”

 

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, made remarks against Iran in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera.

 

During the interview, in response to a question about Iran’s policies in Syria, Fidan criticized Iran, stating: “If this is Iran’s policy in Syria, I do not think it is the correct one. If you seek to create instability in another country by supporting a group, then other countries can also trouble you by supporting certain groups.”

 

He further added: “The resources and capabilities you (Iran) possess are also available to others. If you do not want your glass house to be shattered by stones, do not throw stones at others.”